Hydraulic coupling for vehicles



Dec. 31, 1940. w, BLACK 2,226,802

HYDRAULIC COUPLING FOR `VEHICLES Filed June 14, 1939 Inventor. Wil [y Black, l

WM cf. Mw

His Atto rrwey.

Patented Dec. 3l, 1940v TENT HYDRAULIC coUPLING For, VEHICLES New York i Application June 14,

1939, seria1N 279,188

In Germany June 14, 1938 2 Claims.

My invention relates to hydraulic gear transmissions for `vehicles and more particularly to the Fttinger type of hydraulic gear transmissions .used for the drivingof automotive vehicles.

'One object of myinvention is to provide a simplied constructionof a hydraulic gear transmission including a clutch` and reversing gear to obtain amore compact construction and a corresponding saving of space.,` f

For a better understanding of my invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference'is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a cross sectional elevation, taken through the center, of a gear transmission built in accordance with my invention. Referring to this drawing in detail, the transmission comprises a hydraulic torque converter l, a multiple plate clutch 2, and a mechanical reversing gear 3. The hydraulic coupling is of the type described in detail in U. S. Patents 1,199,359 and 1,199,361. It includes an impeller wheel d, a turbo wheel 5, and a guide wheel E.

The impeller wheel is mounted upon a shaft l, and rigidly secured to turn therewith by a key 3';

The turbo wheel is provided with a hollow hubfil which supports one set of coupling plates 2l on its inner surface. The hub I l is further provided with an extension in the form of an auxiliary hub 22, the end of which is closed by a gear 23. The gear 23 is provided in turn with a pilot shaft 23 which telescopes with the hollow driven shaft 3.

The guide wheel 6 comprises a casing 25 having a hub 26, at one end thereof, surrounding the hub I I of the turbine wheel. A bearing fit is provided between the hubs Il and 2S, so that the guide wheel is concentric with the hub I l and the wheels may rotate relatively to each other. The casing 25 is further provided with a hub 27, at its other end, which surrounds the shaft l, a bearing iit being provided between this hub and shaft l. The guide wheel, therefore, is mounted for rotation about the shaft 'I- and the hub Il. The coupling may be used for torque conversion and also as a mere coupling. During torque conversion operation, which is the equivalent of speed reducing operation, the guide wheel is held stationary. For this purpose, the casing 25 is provided with a braking surface 28 which is engageable by a brake 9. The brake 9 is a band' surrounding the surface 23, and is moved in and out of engagement with the brake surface by any suitable means (not shown).

f The clutch mechanism 2 includes a setof plates 29 attached to a hub 29 mounted on and keyed to the shaft l. I'he plates 29 cooperate with the plates 2I to connectgthe shaft l directly to the i turbine wheel 5, and thereby effect a direct 5 mechanical connection between the drive and driven shafts.

The power of the turbine wheel .is transmitted to the driven shaft 8 by a direct connection or through the reversing gear train 3.' The drawing wv illustrates the reverse geary in operating position. The gear 23 transmits power to a gear 30 mounted on a shaft,3I,\. A second gear 32 also'mounted on the shaft 3l drives a gear 33 through an idling gear (not shown). The gear 33 is splined to and 15 mounted to drive the shaft 8. It may bel-moved along this shaft by any suitable means.: ,Teeth 34 on the side of the sliding gear 33 are provided to engage gear teeth 35 on the side of the gear 23.r The gear 33 is provided with a slot 36 in its hub 3l for engagement by any suitable means (not shown) for moving this gear 33 in and out of engagement with the gear 23.

The clutch 2 is controlled by a piston l2, mounted inside of the hub I I, and operated byoil pressure obtained from a suitable source, such as, for example, a pump I4 mounted in the casing IB of the transmission. The oil from this pump is fed through a pipe connection I8, a valve Ia, hub 38, annular channel 39 in the hub 33, a hole d connecting the annular channel 39 with a bore 20 through the axis of the shaft l, and a hole 32 opening from the end of shaft l, through the piston` I2, to the chamber I9 between the piston I2 and the end wall of hub Il. Oil reaching this chamber will advance the piston against the pressure of a spring I3. This spring is mounted on a shaft dt extending from the piston I2 into/the hub 22. The spring is compressed between a collar 33 attached to the end of the shaft dd a 'd the 'dividing wall between the hub I I and the audliary hub 22. The piston effects an engagement of the two sets of plates 2l and 29, andthereby effects a direct drive between impeller wheel d and turbine wheel 5.

The fluid for operating the coupling is also obtained from the pump I d, which is driven through a suitable gearing from the shaft l. This gearing includes gear I mounted on shaft and a suitable gear on a pump shaft d5. Oil is supplied to the chamber of the coupling through valve |6a, pipe I6, annular channel d@ to a clearance space between the hub 2l and an extension dl of hub 38. The hub 38 is mounted in a wall e8 of the casing I5. The duid continues into the casing formed by the guide wheel through holes in the guide wheel casing 25. The casing in is provided with webs supporting the necessary bearings of the gear transmission. The shaft 1 a rides in a bearing in the end wall 5| of the casing. The wall 48 of the casing I0 carries hub 35 for the purpose of guiding :duid from the pump I4 to the bore within the shaft 'l and to the coupling casing 25.` A sleeve 52 in thewall 53 carries an assembly. of two bearings and the clutch mechanism within the axial length of a single bearing. This assembly includes the hub 25 of the guide wheel 5. This hub has an outer bearing surface which engages the' bearing 52 and has an inner bearing surface that rotates on the hub l I of the turbine wheel. By means of this, compact structure considerable saving is eected in the length of the transmission. A sleeve 54 is supported within the wall 55 of the casing 'I0 and guides the extension 22 of the turbine hub into the reversing gear casing 55. The casing 55 encloses the clutch and reversing gears for the shaft 5, which projects through a sleeve 51 in the end wall of this casing. Thexweight of the rotating parts is therefore distributed over the sleeves 55, 52, 54 and 51.

In operation iiuid pressure is obtained from the pump I4 as soon as shaft 'I isdriven. Oil is admitted to the coupling by opening the valve lia oil flowing through pipe I5, sleeve 41 and ports 45 into the blades of the guide wheel 5. Suicient oil is admitted to reach'the blades of the pump wheel 4 which then sets this oil into motion to transmit power to the turbine wheel 5. valve IBa is opened to secure an operation of the clutch piston I2. In the position shown. shaft I is driven in reverse direction and for forward operation the gear 33 is moved forward al ng the shaft l until the clutch teeth 34 and 5l engage and provide a direct drive between shaft 5 and the hub il.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. In a gear transmission, the combination of a casing, a hydraulic coupling provided with an impeller wheel. a turbine wheel provided with a hollow hub, and a guide wheel, a clutch mechanism for connecting said impeller wheel to said turbine wheel mounted in said hub, and bearing means for supporting said guide wheel and said turbine wheel mounted about one another on said hub.

2. In a hydraulic gear transmission for automotive vehicles, the combination of a casing, a drive shaft, an impeller wheel mounted on said drive.shaft, a turbine wheel and a guide wheel, a clutch mechanism for connecting said drive shaft and said turbine wheel mounted in the hub of said turbine wheel cooperating bearing surfaces for supporting said guide wheel and said turbine wheel mounted about one another on said hub.

and means for supplying operating fluid for said 30 clutch through said drive shaft.

WILLY BLACK. 

